The United Kingdom is in the process of shaking up the habits of air transport for passengers. The British government announced, Thursday, December 15, its intention to considerably relax in June 2024 the restrictions on the transport of liquids in cabin baggage.
Currently, only liquid containers of less than 100 milliliters are allowed in the cabin at international airports around the world, provided they are placed in transparent bags at security checks. Larger containers should be stowed in checked baggage. Also, electronic devices must be taken out of bags, rules that slow down queues.
Under a bill introduced by the British government on Thursday, the limit for liquids will be raised to two liters and electronic devices will no longer have to be controlled separately, the Department for Transport said in a statement. This relaxation is made possible by “the installation of new technologies in most UK airports”he specified.
Imaging and Algorithms
The new screening devices, which have been tested, will employ new imaging techniques providing three-dimensional images of the contents of the bags and using algorithms to detect any threats.
“By 2024, major UK airports will have the latest security technologies, reducing the time spent queuing, improving the passenger experience and most importantly detecting potential threats”said Transport Minister Mark Harper, quoted in the press release.
The current rules had been applied in the early 2000s to prevent the use of liquid explosives in aircraft. On December 22, 2001, Richard Reid, a Briton, had tried, before being subdued, to explode in flight an American Airlines Boeing 767 connecting Paris to Miami, by setting fire to a homemade explosive hidden in the sole of his shoes, based in particular on TATP.
Asked by Agence France-Presse (AFP), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the voice of the airlines, said it hoped that any change in rules would be made. “with a lot of advance for the sector and the passengers” and in a way “internationally coordinated”.
